Evil Deception

Past: October 1, 1943

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was more than eerie. It was creepy. Due to the Christmas holidays, more than half of the students living there had gone home; leaving behind a very disgruntled Tom Riddle. Riddle never returned to the orphanage that he had lived in his entire life for holidays. He didn't mind the loneliness. In fact he welcomed the solitude. Since becoming Head Boy, he had been able to walk around the school during the late ours of the night not having to worry about being caught. Since the "tragedy" of last term had ended he had become even calmer. No one had discovered his secret, blaming the brainless oaf Hagrid had been a wonderful turn of events. He was glad, however, that he had ended the attacks on the Mudbloods before the school had to be closed. Yet, if he had had his way, all of them would be gone from the castle.

It was nearing midnight and he did not feel the need to return to his room. The haughty Lilia Hoppkins would probably be sitting in the Common Room, with one of her "boyfriends". Lilia Hoppkins wasn't bad looking, but the fact that she wasn't bad looking made no difference to Riddle. It was the fact that she kept trying to seduce him, along with every other guy in the school. Glancing at him when she thought he wasn't looking, sitting to close for his comfort and occasionally "accidentally" brushing her hand on his thigh. At meals she would practically sit in his lap, whispering suggestions into his ear until he felt sick. When he was fed up with her, he would stalk away from the table, glaring daggers at anyone who looked at him. Sometimes she would follow him, but he would always lose her.

The moon was full and shone on the grounds, revealing everything in sight. He walked slowly, savoring his freedom. Turning a corner he ran into someone. The force of the impact sent the young man to the floor, leaving the older man standing. "Tom? What are you doing out so late?"

Looking up, Riddle saw Albus Dumbledore, the current Transfiguration teacher offering his hand to him. Rather than grasp the man's hand he pushed himself off the ground and dusted himself off. "Just walking around, Professor." He replied in a cold voice. Riddle did not like being walked into. Checking to make sure that everything was in order he stared at the professor, sizing him up. Dumbledore's hair was still brown, but he looked like he was beginning to age. His beard was longer and he had more lines on his face, but he still had that annoying twinkle in his eyes.

"Not good to be wandering the corridors alone, Tom. Not good at all." Dumbledore said, a hint of suspicion in his soft voice. Riddle stared right into his eyes and shook his head.

"The attacks have ended, Professor. Why would we still need to be afraid?" he replied with a smug grin. Dumbledore sighed and stared at his pupil. The young man before him had grown much quicker than he should have. He remembered when he had first met the boy, the rumors that the woman who ran the orphanage where he was at the time still rang clearly in his thoughts. Tom Riddle had not been like other the other boys who attended Hogwarts. Always seeking solitude, wanting more and more knowledge, bringing together a group of 'followers' that thought they were actually friends of the poor boy.

"Because Tom, danger still lurks around every corner. Besides, we have no proof that the attacks have ceased. Unless…" he paused, gazing into Riddle's black eyes, "you know, who actually led these attacks?" he continued, stressing actually.

Riddle stiffened for a moment, 'Is the old fool accusing me? What could he possibly know?' were the only thoughts running through his head.

"Are you accusing me, Sir?" he asked, his tone smooth yet icy.

Dumbledore smiled at him then, "No Tom, I am merely asking you if you know anything."

Riddle shifted in his feet and shook his head. Dumbledore stared at him a few more seconds before placing his hand on Riddle's shoulder and saying softly, "Very well Tom. You should get back to your dormitory." Removing his hand from the boys shoulder he walked off, not looking back at the dark haired, dark eyed boy. When he was out of earshot Riddle muttered, "Crazy loon…" and marched off to his dormitory.

Cries of pain and anguish were erupting around the battlefield. Hexes and curses were being tossed through the air as the members of the Order of The Pheonix and Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters battled one another in the battle to end all other battles. Many wounded and dead lay on the ground, while the living struggled against one another. Hermione Granger and her best friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were fighting along with the Order. But as one Death Eater feel, another seemed to take his place.

"Hermione, I need to get closer to Voldemort!" Harry shouted to her, while battling a particularly difficult Death Eater. To busy to answer him, she merely nodded; dodging curse after curse the rogue Death Eater was shooting at her. The battle was beginning to tire the brunet out; sensing this, the Death Eater sent a killing curse at her. She dodged it easily and sent a curse back at him. The spell made perfect contact with his chest, making him crumple to the ground, his heart permanently stopped.

Hermione glanced around to see how her friends were faring, when her eyes met cold, infuriated red eyes. She froze on the spot; she would know those eyes anywhere. Harry had described them to her many times; how they had once been normal, but were now permanently red, with slits for pupils. They were the eyes of Lord Voldemort. 'Oh no…' she thought as she saw the eyes turn away from her and gaze, hatefully, at the figure of Harry, who was now battling a new Death Eater. She saw the hateful sneer cross his snakelike features, his wand being pulled from his robes and being pointed at his foe. She saw the evil words of the killing curse form on Voldemort's lips and a sudden dread filled her. Harry had his back turned, he wouldn't be able to dodge it. He was to far away to hear her scream of warning as the green light shot forward...

The world seemed to slow as Hermione watched her best friend in the whole world swivel around to face the green light, having no time to react. As the light enveloped him she saw his eyes widen in fear and then fade, becoming blank and distant. Tears formed in her eyes as she watched his body fall to the ground. Screaming his name she ran towards him, but was stopped by a cold hand grabbing her arm and pulling her back towards him. She gazed up into the hateful eyes of her friend's murderer.

"You can do nothing for him now, Mudblood. You should be more worried for yourself though. No one, not even a filthy Mudblood like you kills my Death Eaters and lives." Voldemort hissed into her face. She shuddered involuntarily. She glared into his eyes, every fiber of her being screaming hate for the hateful monster.

Just as Voldemort was about to kill her, a stunning spell was shot at him. Voldemort dropped her arm and turned to face an enraged and crying Ron Weasley. He sneered at him, his cold voice dripping with revulsion and hate, "You think that I would be affected by that, you filthy Blood-Traitor?" All Ron could do was stand there and stare at him, his gaze matching Voldemort's. His gaze darted quickly to Hermione and then returned to Voldemort.

"Go." Was all that she heard him say before he sent a killing curse at his opponent. Hermione didn't hesitate, she turned and ran away from the two of them. When she was a good deal away she stopped and stared back at them. A moan came out of her mouth when she saw that Ron's body lay face down in the dirt, unmoving and unnaturally stiff.

x-X-x

October 5, 2006

2 weeks after the battle Hermione was standing in No. 12 Grimmauld. She looked around her room, her gaze blank and haunting. Harry and Ron's funerals had been hard for her to endure; not eating anything and barely sleeping was beginning to take its toll on her.

Lupin and other members of the Order were beginning to notice her changes. She had become sullen and talked to people less and less. Slipping into quiet reveries and sometimes going unconscious for days at a time. They begged her to eat and sleep, but neither came easy to her. Every time she ate she threw it back up, a problem which muggle doctors referred to as Bulimia. When she tried to sleep Harry and Ron's faces would come to her. Blank and cold. She couldn't stand to see them like that, so she forced herself to stay awake.

She took to the library many times a week. Always looking for something to drown her sorrows with, but none of the books there were comforting.

x-X-x

Hermione awoke one cold morning to a tapping at her window. She walked to the window and allowed the tawny brown owl to swoop in. A large package tied to its leg. She removed the package, allowing the owl to fly back out the window, and placed it on her bed. She sat across from it and opened it with trembling hands. The letters written across it were familiar, like she had seen them before.

Tearing the paper away she was startled to find a worn book laying there. She picked it up and flipped to the first page. Instantly, a letter addressed to her fell out; placing the book back on the bed she opened it and gasped.

Dear Ms. Granger,

As you may know, by the time you are reading this, I will either be dead or dying. In this book, contains the knowledge that I have gained in the last 20 years of my life. These pages contain the information, spells and secrets to stopping Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I must ask that you do not show this book to Mr. Potter or Mr. Weasley, as I felt that this should be shared with only you.

Please use this information wisely.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore.

Realizing that she had been holding her breath she inhaled a deeply. Gazing at the book, she snatched it from the bed and flipped back to the first page. The book was fascinating enough, the spells complicated and the information startling. Here in the very pages she was reading Dumbledore described Tom Riddle and his days at Hogwarts, the spells he had used on various people. Unable to stop reading, she soon found herself gazing at a Time-Traveling spell that would take the caster back to any date in time. As she read what would happen after it was cast she sucked in her breath, this was the answer.